


Insomnia and Orange Juice

by snowandfire



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Insomnia, Irony, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, POV Sokka (Avatar), Roommates, Sharing a Bed, Sleep, Sleeping Together, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, omg they were roommates, they're idiots your honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24911953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowandfire/pseuds/snowandfire
Summary: “When’s the last time you slept?”“I don’t know. 1998?”“Dude. You were three.”“I don’t need sleep, Sokka. I need answers!”OR:Zuko can't sleep until Sokka's in bed with him. Sokka has no idea why. But eventually, he figures it out.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 1979
Collections: Zuko And Sokka





	Insomnia and Orange Juice

“When’s the last time you slept?” 

“I don’t know. 1998?” 

“Dude. You were three.” 

“I don’t need sleep, Sokka. I need answers!” 

This is how it always starts. Zuko’s dickhead dad sets a new ridiculous challenge for him. Then Zuko spends the next month and a half or however long it takes. Trying to reach for it. He wears himself out. He barely sleeps. Or eats. He’s all bloodshot eyes and shaking hands in the mornings. Addicted to caffeine. 

Well, not this time. Not tonight. Not if Sokka has anything to say about it. He pulls his roommate’s clammy hands off the textbook. Skimming the text on the page. _Vanishing Local Scalar Invariants on Generalized Plane Wave Manifolds._ Damn, and he thought Aang’s medical textbooks had weird, funny words. 

“Okay. Come on. We're super not doing this again.” He slings Zuko’s arm over his shoulder and walks him towards his bedroom. He’s lucky that Zuko isn’t all that heavy. And they’re approximately the same height. 

“You can’t stop me. I was getting close.” Zuko mumbles drowsily. 

“Yeah. Yeah. Sure you were. What’s a ‘manifold’?” 

“That’s just a man. With, uh, a bunch of folds.”

Sokka doesn’t know shit about math and even he knows that makes zero sense. He plops Zuko onto his bed. Glances at all the crumpled up pieces of paper scattered around it. Then moves to turn out the light on Zuko’s nightstand. 

His hand is on the switch, when he feels Zuko’s hand grasp the fabric of his shirt, right at the collar. _What?_

“Hey.” Zuko says, his voice is all raspy and low. His eyes aren’t completely open, but they’re more black than gold. He’s looking at Sokka as if he’s just now noticed that he’s there. 

“Hey?” he attempts to pry Zuko’s fingers away, but they’re sort of stuck. Zuko’s still staring at him, and unless he’s imagining it, he glances at Sokka’s mouth. 

For a single, wildly hopeful second, he wonders if Zuko is going to kiss him.

Then just as suddenly as he grabbed him, Zuko lets him go. Sinks back onto the bed. Eyes closed. Breathing deeply. Asleep. Just like that. Okay, so that was weird.

Sokka flips the light switch, then tosses a blanket over him. He goes over to his alarm clock too and disables his alarm for good measure. Closes the curtains. That oughta do it. 

His heart is still racing for minutes afterward. 

* * *

Sokka’s already at the kitchen table, polishing off an omelette, when Zuko walks in the next morning. It’s 9 in the morning. Which in Zuko time, is like 4 in the afternoon. His hair is sticking up all weird in the back. Bed hair. Or probably what sex hair looks like on him. _Stop thinking about that_. 

He’s shirtless. _Okay do_ _n't think about that either._ Totally ignoring Sokka. He walks directly to the fridge, swings it open and drinks orange juice straight from the carton. Yeah. Lack of sleep always turns him into this kind of degenerate. 

“I don’t get it.” Sokka says, “I practically walked you to your bed last night. I _saw_ you fall asleep. And you _still_ look terrible.”

“Oh. I woke up after you left and couldn’t fall asleep again. So I got some work done.”

He walks back to his room, leaving the juice on the kitchen counter, glances Sokka’s way, “Nice haircut, by the way.” 

_...What?_ Sokka hasn’t cut his hair in weeks. This must end. Sokka must end it. It’s his duty as a roommate. As a best friend. As someone who believes in drinking orange juice the right way. 

* * *

The next night after he drags Zuko off to bed, and plops him down. He takes the trouble to pull up a chair.

“Are you really going to sit there and make sure I sleep all night?” Zuko looks at him, and the chair, curiously. 

Good, Sokka notes, he’s considerably more lucid than last night.

“You can’t be trusted and you’re ruining the orange juice!” 

“Okay. Okay.” Zuko narrows his eyes at him, “Hey, did anything...weird happen last night? I--I don’t really remember. Caffeine crash.” 

_Yeah, you grabbed my shirt and looked into my eyes for a bit_. _Ya know. Typical roommate shit._

Sokka shakes his head, “No, nothing at all. Totally, completely normal.”

Sokka grabs the blanket and throws it over him. Watches as Zuko gets all settled and comfy. And then pulls out his book. You know, he’s not going to just stare at Zuko all night. That would be super weird. As it is. If this were anyone else. It would still be, you know, weird as hell. But they’re best friends. They have been for a long time. So it’s fine. 

What’s not fine is the fact that Zuko seems to fall asleep rather quickly. Sokka’s left to just read. And his eyes slowly start to droop. The words on the page start to swim. He’s read the same paragraph three freaking times and he still doesn’t know what it means. He’s tired. And sitting in this chair isn’t the nicest on his back. Zuko must have been asleep now for at least an hour or more. Surely it’s safe now. Surely he can leave. 

He puts away his book on Zuko’s nightstand and pauses before turning out the light. Sleeping Zuko looks about a million times more peaceful than waking-hours Zuko. All his worry lines are gone. He sleeps on his side. With one leg out from under the blanket. Exactly like he did last night. Which is sorta...cute? Huh. 

Sokka flips the switch. Turns off the alarm. And closes the curtains. Aaaah. Mission accomplished. 

* * *

The next day he's playing video games on the couch when Zuko walks in. He's walking sorta like a zombie. All weird and rigid. And he sinks onto the seat beside Sokka, barely missing sitting _on_ him. At least this time he's wearing a shirt. 

"Give me that." Zuko says, eyeing the controller. 

"But you're really bad at this game?"

Zuko gives him a look, all stern and angry, "Didn't sleep last night either. Hand. It. Over." 

Sokka hands it over. In the past. Zuko's never been able to last more than a few seconds in this game. In this particular dungeon. He doesn't expect much. 

But now, he's on fire. His fingers are moving crazily fast. His knees brushing against Sokka's. He beats the level. And just tosses the control back, "There you go, buddy." 

Then on his way back to the kitchen, he nearly walks into the pillar holding up the floor above them. 

Sokka's just about had it. Caffeinated and sleep-deprived Zuko must be stopped at all costs. At any cost. 

* * *

This time when he pulls up a chair to Zuko's bed. He has _two_ CDs. Instead of a book. And some headphones. Surely, now, he can last the night. 

Zuko, grabs the first CD case, "I didn't know you liked Halsey." 

"It was a gift from Suki!"

"I thought you two broke up." Zuko inspects the book from last night, still on his nightstand, next, "The Hardy Boys. Really?"

"They were hardy. And they were boys. What's not to like. And HEY...you kept the weird black lava lamp thing Mai got you. Didn't you two break up?"

"Yeah. But I don't _listen_ to it. Anyway. Um. Goodnight. I guess." 

"Goodnight." Sokka says. 

After a minute he realizes Zuko is still looking at him. _Oh_. The blanket thing. He wants me to do the blanket thing. Sokka gets up, obligingly tossing the blanket down over him. As expected Zuko pushes exactly one leg out from under it and turns over to his side. His _right_ side. _Why do I know this? Why do I like that I know this?_

Then Sokka goes through the other motions. Alarm. Curtains. Light. He listens to his CD. And he waits. After a quarter hour Zuko is fast asleep. He can see the rise and fall of his breath. After another hour passes, Sokka's getting sleepy just looking at him. Despite the music. The downpour of rain outside is making it worse. He just wants to curl up nice and warm in a bed. Any bed. Not particularly, like, this one.

The sound of a thunderclap wakes up Zuko. Just a bit. He opens his eyes just a little and stares right at Sokka. Considering something. They're just staring at each other. Right here in Zuko's bedroom. In the dead of night.

He might be dreaming. But he can hear Zuko sigh. And make the smallest of gestures with his hand. Sort of like a 'oh for fucks sake just come here'. 

Sokka gulps. Under the circumstances. How much more _here_ could he get? It can only mean Zuko's bed. Next to Zuko himself. _What the heck?_

Whatever. He's tired. Maybe he'll just rest his head for a few minutes. And then go back to his own bed. Couldn't hurt. 

Sokka yawns, and slips in next to him. Yanking at the blanket so it covers a bit of him too. He faces the opposite way as Zuko. But even now, just a few inches away. He can practically feel the heat. Zuko in bed is like a space heater. If space heaters were well-muscled, golden eyed insomniacs that is. It's a cold night and part of him wants nothing more than to turn around and indulge in that wonderful warmth. But he's told that part to shut up and mind its own business before. He'll do it again, god damn it. 

Just a few minutes. Then he’ll get up, and go back to some place else. Some place that makes more sense than Zuko’s bed. With Zuko in it. 

* * *

But as his luck would have it. Sokka never makes it back to his bedroom.

He never makes it back to any plane of normalcy at all. Cause when he wakes up he's _spooning_ Zuko. Which is, obviously, totally mortifying _. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?_ His arm is asleep, cause it's been under the weight of Zuko, probably for _hours_. 

One arm is wrapped comfortably around Zuko's stomach. The one that hasn't fallen asleep. And it feels warm and good and nice. His chest flush against Zuko's back. Being this close to him. Who woulda thought, right, haha? It's just Zuko after all. Zuko who he's known for years. Who acts weird and totally lacks impulse control. Is completely obsessive. And anal-retentive. And often has patience for no one but Sokka. _Lies. Complete bullshit. I've totally thought about it._

Since he's here, and still a bit drowsy, Sokka takes a minute to just breathe it in. Zuko’s smell. He touches the fabric of Zuko's shirt. Aaaah, soft cotton. My soft roommate. _Ohhh._

So sooner or later...He's going to have to get himself out of this one without waking Zuko up. So he can act like it never happened. But of course, the second he starts thinking along those lines…

"SOKKA?!" 

Sokka practically jumps out of his bed, "Zuko. I can explain. I--" 

"Okay. Okay. It's fine. I think I asked you to get in? During the storm. It's coming back to me. You just surprised me. With the uh…" Zuko's eyes are really wide, and his heart's probably pounding too. 

Cause Sokka's is going a million miles a minute.

_I slept over. Oh my god I slept over._

"Yeah. Again. I'm reaaaalllly sorry about that. So sorry. Like you don’t even know. How sorry."

Zuko hasn't stopped staring at him. What's up with that? _Stop that._

"Hey! You in there?" Sokka waves at him. 

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm sorry. I--do you…" Zuko looks back and forth from Sokka's face to the wall, and clearly, he's figuring out something. 

"Do I what?" 

Zuko says his next words very, very slowly, looking at Sokka with a kind of hunger in his golden eyes, and he's blushing so, so red, "Do you--Do you, um, want to--"

_Huh?_ For a few seconds, as Sokka processes, a look of sheer terror dawns on Zuko's face. Like maybe he's massively miscalculated the vibe of the moment. And now there's no going back.

Luckily he hasn't. This is uncharted territory for Sokka. But he's always been an explorer. And if he's honest, he's always kind of wanted Zuko like that. It's just always been kind of a pipe dream. A fun little 'hey what if'. That also kinda hurts him. Cause yeah, as if that's ever gonna happen. 

So Sokka looks at his roommate, not sure exactly what he's agreeing to, but down for it anyway. He nods. 

What follows is an extremely confused, extremely unprompted fifteen minutes of making out. They're not really thinking as they're doing it. Just a hot, wet slide of lips on lips. The inherent confusion of being only half awake and waking up with someone you've liked for several years. It's the most random thing that's ever happened to Sokka in his life. And he loves it. 

Then, all of a sudden, Zuko backs away. Something in his eyes seems to clear. As if he's just now realized that they're awake. They're doing this. And clearly, he's taken aback. By...something. 

"Hey...are you?" Sokka starts to ask, he's not even really sure what he's asking. 

The words seem to panic him. And the second Zuko pulls himself back into focus though he looks like he's going to be sick. He seems to succumb to a sudden wave of embarrassment. Grabs a towel and races to their bathroom before Sokka can get another word in.

* * *

Zuko's in the shower. And Sokka's in the kitchen just contemplating his life. See. It had seemed like a really good idea in the moment. Letting Zuko do that. And he had totally rationalized it. But now…

Yeah. They need to talk. 

He's so caught up in the events of this morning that he's forgotten completely what happened last night. The fact that Zuko slept through the night. The _whole_ night. Clearly, because Sokka was there. 

When Zuko gets out of the bathroom he's fully dressed. He's brushed his hair. And he looks...good. He goes over to the cabinet. Pulls out a glass and pours orange juice into it. 

_It...worked. It fucking worked._ Sokka can't believe it. 

"Sweet! You're a person again!" Sokka exclaims. 

"Yeah. I guess." Zuko, looks at him a bit nervously. 

"So. You slept super well." Sokka says, "When I was there. But whenever I leave you get up again. Why does that happen?" 

"Do you really need to ask me that?!" Zuko snaps. 

_Ohhh. Oh. It's me. I let him sleep. I'm like a human NyQuil_. 

"I was really worried about you." Sokka says, "Every time you do this sorta thing. You always end up all beat up and...kinda wacky."

"You don't have to worry about me! I'm fine."

_No you're not. And I like you too much to let you hurt yourself._

"I'm going to worry about you no matter what you think, okay? I'm your roommate!" 

"Yeah. Your roommate." Zuko repeats bitterly.

_He probably hates all the nagging. But he's got a problem. And I can help. I have to help him._

"Just let me sleep with you okay?! Clearly. It helps!"

"...Fine. Jeez. You can sleep with me. But don't expect what happened this morning to happen again!" Zuko retorts. 

"I wouldn't even dream of it!"

_Bullshit. I'm thinking about it right now._ He basically never stopped. 

* * *

Sokka's never going to tell people about how they're sleeping together but not _sleeping together_ sleeping together. Except the very aggressive kissing one morning. Which. Like Zuko said. Practically promised. Hasn't happened again.

He just follows him to his bed every night. And gets in with him. Two feet apart because they're not gay. But for the record, Sokka considers himself to by bi. And Zuko could be too? Maybe? Especially considering how good he was at doing that thing. That one morning that Sokka tries not to think about too much. But does anyway. _What was that about anyway?_ It's possible. That Zuko was just really horny too. Or, that was just him exorcising the final demons of his sleepless and caffeinated craziness. 

In the morning he always ends up laid across him. Holding Zuko. In one way or another. But by now they're experts at just. Letting that go. Going on with their day like this just is. Totally normal. Totally chill way to start your morning with your roommate who you’re not actully dating. But Sokka secretly savors the moments when he's awake first. And can enjoy it. The feel of Zuko in his arms. The sheer niceness of it. 

Sokka doesn't really get it. _He needs me, to sleep through the night. But he doesn't like me like that?_ It's strange, but Sokka's willing anyway. Zuko's been through a lot. Like, more than any one person should ever have to go through. And he pushes himself so, so much. If anyone deserves a rest, it's him. Even if it really tugs at Sokka's heartstrings in all the wrong ways. To sort of have _something_ with Zuko. But not all the way. Not the way that he wants. And is finding harder and harder to ignore. 

Sometimes he even wakes up to see that they're holding hands. Sokka wonders who it was who reached for who in the night. _Probably me._ He always lets go before Zuko wakes up. 

* * *

It takes many, many nights of this. Before Sokka figures it out. Why in all of the previous occasions without him there, Zuko hadn't been able to sleep through the night. 

It's only because he's lost in his own thoughts. And can't seem to fall asleep himself. That he notices it. Zuko fell asleep ages ago. But now he's tossing and turning on his side of the bed. Clearly having some sort of dream. A nightmare. A bad one. Sokka wonders if it would be appropriate to wake him up, just to put a stop to it. It's then that Zuko wakes up and sits bolt upright, covered in a cold sweat. He touches his own face. His scar. His own arms. As if making sure he's in one piece. Sokka shuts his eyes. Pretends to be asleep. Like he _should_ be. 

And then. It's _Zuko_ who grabs his hand. Shuffles closer in bed. His breathing steadies. As he grips Sokka's hand tight.

_Shit. Shit. Holy shit._

* * *

Sokka stays up a few more times to check if it happens again. Yeah, it's ironic. This whole thing started because Zuko wasn't sleeping and now it's him who isn't sleeping. Figures. 

It happens _every time_. Zuko wakes up all shaky and bothered. Checks himself to sort of ground himself in reality. Then reaches for Sokka. It's always something small. Holding hands. Or just putting his own hand somewhere PG on Sokka. His shoulder. His stomach. His arm. His wrist. So that means another thing. Sometime during the night. It's Sokka who takes this further and makes it into a full blown cuddle. Taking a mile after Zuko gives him an inch. _But hey, he started it!_ That has to count for something. 

* * *

The one mistake Sokka makes in all of this is when he can't just _watch_ it anymore. Or maybe it's just taken him this long to work up the courage to do something like this. 

To stroke Zuko's hair during the nightmare. Try and calm him down. Maybe wake him up? In a way that wouldn't be jarring and scary. 

The second he does so, it seems to work. But then Zuko's wrapping his arms around him. All of a sudden. And Sokka's holding him, pulling him closer. Because how could you not? They fit together. _This is right. This feels right. Oh no._

* * *

To pre-empt any sort of feelings what happened that night is making him catch. Or let's be real. He has feelings. A fuck-ton. He just doesn't want to get _more_. Sokka gets himself a date. Then a second. Then a third. With the same girl, obviously. She's perfectly nice. Just, not Zuko. Oh well, it's not like he can _have Zuko_. By the time the sixth date comes around Sokka tells Zuko he won't be there tonight. If things go well, that is.

"Huh? Okay. Whatever." He barely looks at Sokka when he says it. 

_Okay. So it's obvious where you stand. Thanks for that._

But all through the date, he can't stop thinking about it. Later tonight. Zuko alone. Reaching for him. And he won't be there. The dinner he could be having with Zuko right now. Their easy dynamic. And no-nonsense friendship. Well, a little nonsense, to be sure. And a little more than friendship. He knows more little things about Zuko than he does about anyone. The position in which he sleeps. His exact tastes in food and music. The way he's desperate, so desperate for his dad's approval that every couple months he practically kills himself over it. Sokka spends all his time worried about the guy. He'd do anything for him. 

_But what about him? Zuko just needs me so he can sleep...wait...Oh my god, he needs me to SLEEP._

If this was a cartoon, a bright light bulb would have appeared over Sokka's head. Right at this precise moment. 

He has to go. He has to go right now. He can fix this. He can make it right. _How could I not see it?_ Zuko reaching for him, the soft 'hey'. Grabbing his hand in the night. Looking at him with the _expectation_ that Sokka should throw a blanket over him. Practically inviting him into his bed. Asking to blow him. How embarrassed he was afterward. And angry that Sokka couldn't see it. Wouldn't see it.

He ends the date after dinner. And goes straight back home. _Please be home. Please, please, be home._

Zuko's there. 

"Sokka?!"

"It didn't work out."

"Oh. Sorry."

Sokka walks up to him. Come on. Now or never. He grabs a bit of Zuko's shirt. Right by the collar, "Hey."

"Hey." This time it's Zuko who grabs at Sokka's fingers. But he's not prying them away. Just...touching. 

Then Sokka drops the shirt and moves his hands to cup Zuko's face. Hoping and praying that he's got this right. 

"So. You need me, or you don't sleep." 

"Yeah." Zuko's voice breaks as he says, “Yeah. I do.”

"Well... I need you too." He leans in to kiss him, and pauses just an inch away from his face. To give him a chance to back out. 

When he doesn't, Sokka closes the distance between them gladly. Kissing him like he should have done. Maybe years ago. And Zuko's kissing him back. Brushing his nose against Sokka's and tracing his jaw with his left hand. His right lands on Sokka's waist. They're so close. So close after soooo long. 

_Six years. Six fucking years._ Sokka can't believe it was him all along. His mouth is so warm. His lips incredibly soft. And from everything he's doing. Every little touch and moan. The way he kisses as if he's afraid this might be the last chance he'll ever get. _He wanted this. He wanted this too. I'm an idiot. I'm such an idiot._

"Why didn't you say something?" Sokka wonders aloud. 

"I--I wanted to. Why didn't you?!"

_Because I'm stupid. I am beyond stupid._

"Thank god for the orange juice…"

* * *

In the end, the whole idea that this thing was based on a need for sleep is thrown out the window. Cause once they know what they have together...yeah they don't go to bed for all that much sleeping…it's overrated anyway. Yeah, yeah, the irony. 

But Sokka does throw out Zuko's math textbook. He phones his dickhead dad and tells him to stay away from them on penalty of just about everything Sokka has in his power to do to him. Zuko stops making remarks on haircuts that don't exist. And doesn't get suddenly good at stuff at which he's supposedly bad. He's a real, functional person again. Like he deserves to be. Like Sokka’s going to make sure he can be, from now on, and forever. For the rest of time. 

Yeah. Zuko still needs Sokka for sleep. But Sokka needs Zuko to live. It just took him a while to see it.

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't done a oneshot in a WHILE...  
> But I love this pairing and I love this trope, so...
> 
> sort of a crack fic? can anyone actually be this oblivious in real life? the real questions.  
> :)


End file.
